Caring for a pregnant cat requires a lot of love, patience, and preparation to ensure both the mother and her future kittens remain healthy and happy. From proper feeding to cosying them up in a safe birthing space, there's just a lot to be done in making this process smoother for your furry friend. Here is a guide on how to prepare for a kitten and keep both mom and her new kittens happy and healthy. Let's get started!
1. Nutrition for the Mother-to-Be
Caring for a pregnant cat starts with nutrition. After you know that your cat is pregnant, you can feed her high-quality kitten food . Make sure that all the nutrients and energy needs meet her growing needs. Feeding your pregnant cat kitten nutritious food until kittens are delivered will give her the essential protein and calcium, as well as other nutrients, needed for her own health and milk production.
Some recommended brands are:
Royal Canin Mother and Babycat
It provides special prebiotics for digestive health, antioxidants to support immunity, and DHA for brain health. Its formula is meant to be used once it's time for the kittens to start eating solids, especially designed for the mum to feed her kittens while they begin to eat solids, with an easy-wean formula.
Hills Science Plan Kitten Healthy Development
This is a balanced formula, which contains clinically proven antioxidants supporting the kitten's immune system; it contains DHA from fish oil for the support of brain and eyesight. Additionally, it has a gentle digestion system that should soothe the nursing mother.
Purina Pro Plan Kitten Optistart
This high-protein diet is designed for healthy development. It includes colostrum for immune support, DHA for cognitive growth, and minerals for solid bones and muscles.
Note: Make sure she has food in case she eats through the night by leaving small amounts available for her during the day. She'll probably be a snacker, eating little throughout the night rather than gorging on huge meals. Make sure she is fed enough with plenty of energy during the day.
2. Providing a Comfortable Place for Kittening
Two weeks before your cat is due, it's very important to prepare a safe and cozy place for her to deliver. Cats instinctively desire private spaces to nest. Setting up a kittening box in a quiet and clean area will provide her with a safe haven. Preparing for cat birth can help her feel more secure and comfortable.
Popular choices for a kittening box include:
- A laundry basket
- A cardboard box with soft edges
You should provide a clean litter tray or travel carrier with the door removed and covered with disposable materials like newspaper or puppy training pads. These are absorbent and can be discarded. These will make space comfortable for your cat, all at the same time keeping it hygienic.
Put the kittening area in a location that is quiet and distraction-free for your cat to feel safe. This will be helpful when having her litter box, food, and water close at hand so that she does not need to venture far from her kittens after giving birth. Keep in mind that sometimes, despite all the planning on your part, she may decide her own preference of location for the kitten, and the best choice then is to let her do so.
3. Choice of Bedding
The bedding for mom and her kittens will make a major difference. Newspaper, or other disposable padding, is excellent for lining the kittening box, as it is absorbent and safe for nesting. She can shred newspapers herself to make a nest. Soft towels or washable blankets are ideal and can be washed and reused every day. Because birth can be a little messy, fresh bedding will promote a clean environment for those new kittens to arrive, diminish the chance of infection, and make the whole space cozier for mom.
4. Kit Construction of a Cat Birthing Kit
Ideally, you should prepare a little in advance for when your cat gives birth to babies. The best prepared cat birthing kit includes:
- Floss: To ligate the umbilical stump if the mother does not do so by natural licking and biting.
- Sterile scissors: To cut the umbilical stump if the above does not render it short enough
- Iodine or chlorhexidine tincture: To disinfect kittens' navels after cutting the cord to prevent infection.
Remember to note down your veterinarian's phone number somewhere so you can easily reach out for any queries or concerns. You'll want to call in, for instance, if her contractions don't shorten and become weak within a few hours, as well as if your kitty seems not to care about her kittens or is acting distressed in other ways. If she has a surprise pregnancy, discuss with your vet now a safe time to spay her in the future.
5. Preparing for Kitten Milk Replacers
Some mothers do not have milk for all their kittens, while some develop mastitis that prevents them from nursing. Being prepared with a milk replacer allows you to step in and fill the gap. Some popular choices include:
- Royal Canin Babycat Milk
- KittyStim Kitten Probiotic & Colostrum
You should know from your vet how to feed these kittens well; bottle feeding is a danger if done the wrong way, and it will lose its chances to end up with proper nutrition. It is also better that you weigh your kittens every day for tracking growth. Any kitten that does not gain weight should be visited by a veterinarian.
Expectations After Birth
Now that you have an idea of what to do after your cat gives birth, you can start assisting the mother and her new kittens. The mother cat would naturally groom new kittens and take care of them after delivery, but here are a few things that might help you in supporting them too:
- Keep the environment clean and quiet: Keep changing the bedding for them to keep their place clean.
- Providing food and water near it: A nursing mother cat needs more energy; therefore, the provision of food and water next to her will help in proper nutrition as she cares for the kittens.
- Weight and health check: If you find that one kitten is gaining weight slower than the others, consult your veterinarian for professional advice on increased feeding or care.
Preparing a New Kitten for a New Home
First and foremost, in case you expect kittens, make sure to prepare everything that will be required at the right time. Once they are born and growing, they will already start preparing for a new home. Here is a quick cat checklist of the essential items for a new kitten:
- Quality kitten food: High in protein and fortified with the correct nutrients.
- Kitten-safe toys: For physical stimulation as well as mental.
- Kitten-sized litter box: Just big enough for tiny kittens.
- Soft bedding: To offer a comfortable place to rest and sleep. Scratching posts to encourage healthy scratching habits.
Having a new kitten to the home is indeed a highly rewarding experience, and if you have prepared well for it, you will welcome them to a home happy and safe to live in. If these steps are followed to a natural delivery, your cat will really get through the experience well, and you will be adequately equipped to meet the demands of her new kittens. Good luck to you and your furry family!
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